Night of Ash
by munchzilla
Summary: Despite his injuries, Michael is coming to grips with the fact that his work is not yet done. God wants him to train his replacement, the new wielder of Amoracchius. Aiden has no one left after that night, every one is gone. Daniel is a bit sore at the new wielder, but he thinks things just aren't right. Ramirez is curious about the new knight he heard about. Carlos/OFC (M content)


As if his day wasn't about to get any better, Michael had received some disturbing news. Harry Dresden had made a deal with a dragon over a rather valuable artifact and a piece of his heart as well. Michael had wielded that sword for a good long time and felt as if it was part of him. But now it belonged to another. For that he was happy, the circumstances left much to be desired. Michael put his hands on the table, putting his thumbs onto the bridge of his nose, pinching it out of frustration. His eyes looked up at the wizard for a brief moment, a curse almost sprang to the mans lips, but he thought better of it.

"You have her, yes?"

Harry nodded, for once he had no wise ass comment to produce for enjoyment.

"Michael I swear, I didn't do this to upset you, I just…"

He trailed off; his voice left hanging in the air. There was a noncommittal grunt from the large black man standing in the shadows.

"Sanya, as the last surviving member of the Knights of the Cross, what do you think about this whole thing?"

Sanya grunted as he shrugged his shoulders, not really speaking much.

"Alright then, let's do the introductions."

Harry turned on his heels and opened up the garage door. A young woman came in, her dark hair pulled into a braid, her body slender and athletic.

"Harry are you sure about this? She is so young."

There was a thought that drifted across Michaels mind, she couldn't be more than Mollys age, he pondered as he looked the girl up and down. Could someone so young really wield Amoracchus?

"Aiden, why don't you tell Michael about yourself?"

The girl looked at the older male in front of her, she was terrified of him. Something told Michael that she had a good reason to be. Her lips moved silently in a prayer that right off the bat he knew well enough.

"It's alright child, you are safe here."

Michael stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her tense muscles under her winter jacket.

"Forgive me, I apologize. It has been a rather taxing day…. But my name is Aiden Faollan."

The girl took in a deep breath as she looked up in Michael's eyes. He could see the fear in hers, only wishing that he had a soulgaze to see what was going on in her mind.

"Her home, her family was ripped apart by the denarians, Michael. She needs a place to stay, to learn. I can't think of anywhere better."

"But I don't…. I don't want to impose. I'll find someplace…."

"Damn it, you have nowhere to go! Why in the hell would you refuse such protection?"

Nearly simultaneously, Aiden and Michael both crossed themselves. Harry rolled his eyes. After managing to convince Aiden to stay here for just the night to see how things would work out, Harry left the garage with a swirling burst of snow behind him. For a while, there was nothing but silence and the sound of the winter wind that whistled across the façade of the garage that had been converted into a workshop. Once or twice, Michael wished to say something, opening and closing his mouth as he looked on his replacement. She was just a child and surely this must have been some sort of jest.

"Michael, dinner time."

The silence was broken by the sound of his wife's voice, thankfully, Michael couldn't help but think. Charity stepped into the garage, looking from her husband, to Sanya, then her eyes came to rest on Aiden.

"We will be having a guest?"

"Aiden will be staying with us for a time. It would seem that He still has further use for me."

Michael said in a slow voice. Charity nodded as she then ushered the three into the house. Michael wasn't so sure about trying to train this girl. She was fearful, but there was a sort of inner resolve in that he could sense.

Aiden was mentally exhausted. First the denarians, those demons attacked her house where her foster lived. The house had been blackened by fire and the bodies of her family had been mangled up. If it wasn't for that woman passing by, someone who had given her the sword that helped her fight off the demons, Aiden didn't know what she would be able to do. There was that wizard that was passing by who had been tailing the woman, but she could scarcely believe that the man could do magic. It was something that she had never thought of. Then she met this man, someone that she was told that she could stay with this family that she knew nothing about. She had nowhere to go, no one to call family. She was alone. She sat down at the dinner table, a large family had gathered before her. There were so many kids, Aiden didn't know what it was like to have such a family any more. The woman that sat to the man's left, Charity, as she called herself, asked Aiden a barrage of questions. She was reminded of her own mother. The woman that picked her over all of the other children.

"What kind of schooling have you been through?"

"I've received my bachelors degree in Architectural Engineering, I'm the last one since I was the youngest."

Aiden replied quietly. She looked down at the plate, her stomach was hungry but she didn't want to eat. Her heart was beating in her stomach as she looked at the plate, not really seeing it. She smelled the good food but it made her sick.

"I was living with my parents when they were attacked. My three brothers were away at school when…. When they were taken."

Aiden chocked back a sob as she wiped her eyes on the long sleeve of her hooded shirt. The eldest son, Daniel, gently put a hang on her shoulder to comfort her.

"It's hard, but I know that He works in mysterious ways."

Aiden said as she sniffed, trying to compose herself, taking a deep breath, her chest was shaking from emotions. She let it out, slowly. She closed her eyes as she said a small prayer in latin, as if it was second nature.

"Dear, who were your parents?"

"Ian and Kathrine Faollan. We moved here from Boston some years ago."

There was silence at the table, no one said anything as Michael and Charity exchanged looks for a brief moment. Aiden felt a weight laying heavily on her shoulders, there was so much that needed to be done. It had to be done soon but there was nothing left of the bodies to burry. Afterwards, dinner was a rather subdued affair. Aiden aided the Carpenters kids with the chores, feeling that there was a need to busy herself with mundane things so she could keep her mind elsewhere instead of on the present problems. Charity had made up a bed for her in Molly's room, offering up some clothes that might have fit her. She felt like an outsider in a place that was already tight knit. The only thing that was left from the ruins of her house was her father's rosary. She pulled the charred rosary from her pocket and wrapped it around her fingers as she went to pray. She knew that there was something that she had done to incur the wrath of God. No one could be punished like this without doing something that was justifiably wrong.

"O my God, I am heartfully sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishment, but most of all because I have offended Thee my God, Who is all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen."

Aiden jumped as her Amen was joined by another. She turned, a bit jittery. Michael stood in the doorway, surveying her.

"Your father, Ian Faollan, he's an irish immigrant is he not?"

"yes sir."

Aiden said, licking her lips in a rather nervous fashion.

"I knew your father. He was a good and holy man. Though we parted ways shortly before he adopted you."

Aiden's brow furrowed as she looked at the man in front of her. She tentatively picked up the broadsword that had been given to her by the woman. He was the bearer of the sword before her and by all rights, it was his.

"Amoracchius is yours. It's time I returned it. Thank you for allowing me to use it."

She attempted to give him back the sword, but Michael held his hand up, stopping her. He gently pushed the sword back at her.

"It is no longer mine. It might be His will for you to use it. Draw the blade please."

Aiden nodded, pulling the blade and holding it in her hand. The weight of the sword was warm and comfortable. The light that showed from the blade was brilliant, dazzeling and nearly causing blindness. Michael crossed himself as Aiden stowed the blade back in the sheath.

"I have never seen the light like this before. You must be powerful, or at least you have a religious strength that is paralleled by no one else I know."

There was a moment of silence as Aiden regarded the sword with a bit of uncertainty. She didn't know what she would be doing with this, this weapon.

"I will teach you what I know. What I can."


End file.
